What Am I?
by BirdSpell
Summary: The story of how a young assassin named Kestrel became Robin, the youngest and most experienced hero of Young Justice. Kestrel's Shadow verse.
1. Chapter 1

What Am I?

Part 1

**Hey guys! Okay, so, Kestrel's Shadow was way more popular than I was expecting, so I'm going to turn it into my own damn universe. I've already got two stories planned for it, and this is the first one. So, enjoy.**

**Italics are thoughts, I own nothing.**

Damian Wayne, AKA Nightwing, stood on top of a building, watching a compound that he had recently discovered was a Court of Owls base. Most people thought they were just a legend, but not him. He knew they were real, hell, he'd even met a few of their Talons. But now he was on the other side of the law. He was a hero, and he needed to capture at least one of the assassins. Make the streets a bit safer. And there was also the fact that if the others actually saw one, they'd have to admit he was right. But at the same time, he knew the Penguin was after the compound too. Planned to blow it up, something about them sending Talons after his workers.

_There he is._

Penguin was leaving, holding something that looked like a remote control, preparing to press the button.

_He's already set the explosives!_

Damian leapt towards the building. Maybe he could save at least one life. Entering the first room, he saw a boy who couldn't be older than eight, wearing the black clothes and white mask of a Talon, staring at the complicated bomb in front of him. He seemed to be considering his chances of disarming it before it went off. An older Talon walked in, saw the bomb, and yelling a warning behind him, ran out, shoving the boy to the ground as he passed. Damian swore and darted forward, grabbing the kid and using his grappling hook to escape, just managing to get clear before the explosion destroyed the base. The boy looked at him warily.

"Nightwing," he breathed, edging away. Damian crouched in front of him, not wanting to scare the kid off after all the trouble he went to saving him.

"I am not planning on attacking you."

"Why'd you save me? We're on different sides."

Nightwing honestly had no answer to that. It had been an instinctive action, but instinct, he knew, wasn't something assassins tended to trust. He came up with a reason quickly, one that was technically true, even if it wasn't exactly the correct reason.

"Just because we're on opposite sides doesn't been you should die for it."

"But... I'm an assassin. I kill people."

"And do you regret that?"

The boy hesitated, then nodded.

"Well, you're not an assassin now. Besides-" Damian cut himself off. Something about this boy seemed trustworthy, but he wasn't about to tell a kid he had only just met that he had once been a member of the League of Shadows.

"Besides what?"

"...Nothing. Anyway, what is your name?"

The boy considered the question, apparently trying to decide whether or not to answer it.

"Kestrel."

Kestrel... He knew that name. Kestrel had a reputation for killing quickly, not toying with his targets like some other assassins. They were killed with a single blow, usually slashing them across the throat; they were almost always dead in seconds. He was a legend among the League of Shadows, known for his speed and skill. No one had ever seen him in action. All in all, his style had always seemed like someone who didn't enjoy killing, getting it over with as fast as possible with the least amount of pain to the victim. In Damian's experience, that usually meant the assassin was being forced. He suddenly realized Kestrel was waiting for a response.

"Tell me Kestrel, did you like the Court of Owls?"

"...No."

Nightwing made a split second decision. After all, the kid was eight, and Batman would want to question the young Talon. Activating his comm, he called the Batcave.

"Nightwing?"

"Batman. I have found someone you may like to talk to. Should I bring him to the Batcave with me?"

"Who?"

Damian hesitated. Should he tell Batman? He could just say he had just found a Talon... but the Dark Knight would certainly find out the truth eventually.

"Nightwing..."

"Kestrel."

"What?! Alright, bring him in."

"Batman, there is one more thing you should know."

"And that is?"

"He is only eight years old." Damian shut off the comm.

"Kestrel?"

The young assassin looked at him. "Yes, Nightwing?"

"Would you like to come with me to the Batcave?"

He hesitated. "Yes. I would."

Damian sincerely hoped that bringing the child with him wasn't a mistake.

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Bruce shook his head. One of the most elusive killers on the planet, a legend to both the Shadows and the Justice League, and Kestrel was eight? This was going to be far different from anything he had ever done before.

**Ha ha, the Batclan have no idea what they're getting themselves into... Oh, I am so looking forward to Part 2. They're going to find out what a smartass Kestrel is! Hey, who wants him to already know their IDs? The Batclan is, as always, Damian, Tim and Jason. Well until next time, and**

**REVIEW**

**-Bird**


	2. Chapter 2

What Am I?

Part 2

**I'm eating breakfast while I write this. It's nine in the morning. *smirks* I love summer break. On to reviewer responses!**

**randomkitty101: Thank you! Technically this is a prequel, but that's not very important. I decided he must know their IDs, because it's more entertaining, and pretty much everyone said he should...**

**Guest: Thanks!**

**pebble240: Thank you! Well, here's part 2!**

**lindz4567: Thank you!**

**GenderBender25: He does know... more confused Batclan... Thanks!**

**katsai25: Thank you! Robin as an assassin is something I just can't get out of my head right now. Batman should be surprised more often! It's fun! This is Robin we're talking about, he's got to be as sassy as we can get him without it being annoying. He wasn't sassy enough in YJ... That is sort of in my plans, but I don't really plan, so not sure if it'll actually happen or not.**

**Wow, that was a lot of reviews! More than I was expecting, as I only published this eight days ago. On with the show!**

**Oh yes, I **_**totally **_**own Young Justice. That's why I'm writing fanfics about it instead of making a third season. With more Nightwing.**

Batman stared at the famous Kestrel in disbelief. This slender eight year old was the foremost assassin on the planet? Doubts aside, the Dark Knight wanted answers. And one way or another, he'd get them.

"Where are your masters?"

"Sorry Bats, that's none of your business. And even if I wanted to tell you, which I don't, I have no clue where they are, so asking is a waste of time."

The boy looked around the Batcave. "You're really milking the whole 'creature of the night' thing for all it's worth, aren't you, _Mr. Wayne_?"

Bruce held back his shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Which part? Well, I guess it's kind of obvious. Don't play dumb. You're Bruce Wayne, Nightwing is Damian Wayne, Cardinal is Tim Drake and Red Hood is Jason Todd. It doesn't take a genius! Although I am one, actually."

"Well, how did _you _figure it out?"

"First, Batman appeared after you lost your parents, and he was the right age to be you. When I dug a little deeper, I realized that each time the Bat got a new partner pretty much coincided with Bruce Wayne brining in another kid, and they were all the right ages. Right heights too. The only one that didn't match was Batgirl AKA Barbara Gordon, as Bruce Wayne has no daughters, but overall it made sense. Once I figured all that out, I decided I had enough evidence to justify hacking into your computer, and when I checked, I was right." Kestrel said all this in the too-patient tone of someone explaining something very simple to a person who should have already known it.

Bruce hated to admit it, but the kid was right. He _was _a genius. "So the Court of Owls knows who we are."

But the young assassin shook his head. "Actually, I'm the only one who knows. The Court is a bunch of assholes, so I figured I'd keep it to myself. I honestly just did it because the work they gave me to do was too easy. I've spent a surprisingly large chunk of the past two years being bored out of my mind."

"And the other part killing people."

"Not all of the other part was me killing people, but... yeah, pretty much." Batman's eyes narrowed. "But I didn't enjoy it!" The child hastened to add. "It wasn't like I had a choice! Although I have to admit, avoiding the cops was fun."

Bruce digested this piece of information. "If you hate the Court so much, why are you defending them?"

"It annoys you. And besides, it's not like I know anything anyways, so it makes no difference whether I tell you or not. Oh, and before you ask, I'm not telling you my real name. If you want it, you're gonna have to earn some trust."

"Villains don't deserve trust."

"What about Damian?"

"That's different."

"Why, because he's your son? Come off it Bruce, it's not different. You just want to think it is, so you can justify throwing a kid into the system." He hesitated for a second, then turned around to yell at the wall. "It's not very nice to eavesdrop, you know!"

There was a sound like someone falling over, then a burst of swearing as Jason moving away. Kestrel cackled. The sound was disturbing. If only one of his partners could do that... Bruce shook off the thought. They had other talents, and an assassin didn't belong anywhere near the Batclan, unless said assassin was being dragged to jail. And yet he couldn't help but think that Kestrel would have made a great hero if the circumstances had been different.

"So, now that we've decided that I'm not going to answer any of your questions, my laugh is disturbing and Jason has a _very _impressive vocabulary for an eleven year old, am I just going to sit here all night, or do you have somewhere for captured eight year old assassins to sleep?"

"You're staying here. Good night."

"Isn't it almost five in the more?"

Bruce ignored the boy. Perhaps making Kestrel stay in the interrogation room was juvenile, but the young genius was infuriating. Although he hated to say it, the assassin was a real boy wonder.

"Damian!"

"Yes Father?"

"You'll be staying here tonight. Keep an eye on him."

Tim and Jason shared a quick smile, glad they didn't have to deal with the boy.

Damian sighed. From his father's tone, the boy was... difficult. That didn't sound right though, he had been very polite and relaxed on the way to the Batcave.

"Are they gone yet?"

"Yes, they are."

It didn't surprise him that the kid had escaped the interrogation room, he had proved that particular skill before. Many of his victims had been found in locked rooms, it was obvious he had at least some lock picking abilities at least.

"So... what do you guys do around here anyways?"

"Train, mostly."

"Oh, oh! Do you want to spar?"

Damian looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really think I am going to spar with a trained assassin?"

"Well, I've heard you're pretty good with a sword..."

"I have some training. What about you?"

Kestrel shrugged. "Basic stuff. Block, parry, thrust. I'm better with knives, they're easier to use with acrobatics."

"You're an acrobat?"

"Yeah, I was in a circus and everything."

Damian knew that could be important. He wouldn't press it for now, but once he and Bruce were out on patrol he would tell the Dark Knight. The only problem was he wasn't sure if he should.

"You can tell Bruce."

Looking up, he saw Kestrel watching him with a half pitying, half laughing expression.

"Why did you tell me?"

"Come on, I read your files. You worked with the League of Shadows. I figured if anyone knew what to do in this situation, it'd be you."

"You have absolutely no idea what you're doing, do you?"

Kestrel smiled sadly. "Not a clue. For the past two years I've been told no one else would ever accept me. I've been told that heroes would just throw me in jail. But you guys haven't even considered that. In fact, I think... I think Bruce thinks I might make a good hero."

"You would." Damian was slightly surprised to find he meant it completely. "After all, he let me become a hero."

"But that's different." Kestrel stared at the floor. "You're his son. It was a family obligation."

"Family isn't who you are born with. At least, it isn't around here. Family is who you choose. Who you care about."

Kestrel smiled. "Maybe you're right." He yawned. Damian realized with a start that the boy was almost asleep.

"Thanks Dami," he murmured, leaning against the hero.

Dami... Damian had to admit, a part of him liked the sound of that. As Kestrel fell asleep, the older boy promised himself that he would try to convince Bruce to let the eight year old join their dysfunctional family. He needed one just as badly as Jason and Tim and Damian himself had, and one way or another he would get it.

**Yes! That took an hour to type. So, we got some sassy Kestrel, and some nice brotherly fluff. I'm thinking I might do the typical nightmare sequence next. What do you think? If you've got anything you'd prefer to see, let me know. Until next time, and **

**REVIEW**

**-Bird**


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